Temptations
by Oceanbreeze7
Summary: The desires of Hobbit's may be different than man, but it always came to the same thing. Aragorn had been right- the ring could not grant any creature its desires, no matter how petty they were. It could not even grant Frodo's, which may have been one of its most easy to grant-


**_Just a short little One-Shot on what Frodo could have been tempted by on Mt. Doom._**

**_Enjoy- no flames please._**

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_"Why do you fight me? Can you not open your sight to me- let me show you the truth?"_

Frodo grit his teeth, eyes locked on the entry way, the air dry, turning his hands clammy as they trembled along his sides, not offering assistance to his legs which weakly pulled themselves forward in the ever long battle. Each breath scraped his throat, bringing a thick salty taste to the back of his tongue, the illusion and possibility of more sliding down his throat.

_"What have I done to you Frodo? Can't you see we're on the same side?"_

Frodo's eyes narrowed, and he winced as a particularly sharp rock fragment split into the thick hide of his feet- by now, they had been coated by a thin and yet grotesque layer of slime, consisting of blood, ash, and a liquid he was unable to name at this point.

_"Are you going to toss me aside? Leave me empty, alone in the dark? We're one, little Hobbit, you destroy me, you destroy yourself."_

"Shut up." Frodo hissed below his breath, not able to utter in a voice louder, as his vocal chords had obviously been abused from the fibers in the air.

_"Stop talking? You believe I am speaking lies? I am not, little Hobbit. I never have been. I have the power to level mountains, to turn gullies into oceans, deserts into farmland and so much more…just put me on."_

One more step- one more step-

_"But of course- you don't want power, do you?"_

Frodo gasped, pulling himself over the rock ledge, sparing one look behind him, as he faintly heard Smeagol scream and attack Sam- he had to hurry.

_"Hurry? Why hurry? You're here, aren't you? You're here, all alone, with me."_

He ran- no more dark whispers of enticement, he couldn't listen, he _wouldn't _listen. He had to finish the quest, to avenge Gandalf; it was what was expected of him- it was what was wanted of him-

_"Wanted of you? What about what you want? You don't crave power, as do the men who fell to be the Nazgul; you don't want knowledge, as the elves that bled into Orcs- I know what you want."_

Frodo choked, neck being pulled down suddenly, losing his balance on the precipice of the rock arch, heat caressing his face while rock hissed in a serenade. The chain was _so heavy- _the ring was doing this- it was pulling at his skin once more, pulling and _tearing-_

_"I can bring them back you know. I can bring back your parents, little Hobbit. I can bring back the wizard- I can bring back all you have ever lost."_

"Don't listen." Frodo gagged, more of what he suspected blood, slipped through his throat, causing a gurgling in mistake of words, but the ring would not stop.

_"You know this- and yet you resist. You resist you foolish little child!"_

Frodo tried to slam his mouth shut, stopping the blood from being spat out as the chain itself sunk in brutally into his skin- burning with a newfound fire, and Frodo reached up, grabbing the ring and pulling it to his eyes- allowing the now calm voice to whisper soothingly into his mind.

_"I can give it to you, just put me on and I shall grant you all you desire."_

"Can't." Frodo whispered, trying to pull himself upright, ignoring the slight twitching of his feet from the onslaught of pain that had attacked his senses.

A dark snarl in his mind and he crumpled, wincing in agony as his hand that held the ring twitched, pain wracking his mind- being brutally torn apart by the hands of darkness.

_A little Frodo crying out in the middle of the night- where were his parents?_

_Frodo next to a river. They died; they died right here- they left me._

_Bilbo leaving after his party- they left me alone again._

_Stabbed by the Morgul Blade- so cold, I see them, I see death and I see those who left- No! Take me back! Let me go ba-_

"Agh!" Frodo screamed, eyes shut tightly against the tears that gave a cleaned path along his ash colored skin- legs drawn to his chest as pain wracked him once more, slowly leaving him, leaving him stunned on the rock precipice.

_"I could get rid of it all, for you. Put me on, and it will all go away." _

The voice was so much softer, comforting him with careful words, lifting him with false promises.

But this promise- Frodo knew that the ring could grant it.

Frodo flashed his eyes open, wincing and pushing him to his feet again- yanking the ring off to avoid any more events of pain, and approached the craggy tip, looking over at the heat that kissed his skin, and at the magma that would end it all.

_"Little Hobbit, look at me little Hobbit- look at me."_

And Frodo did- his eyes meeting with the brilliant gold that seemed to glow in the firelight, careful ruins gently running across its glistening surface without flaw, burning the tongue of black speak in Frodo's mind.

_"Look at you, you have proven yourself. You are worthy, and I shall grant you your wish, your craving. Put me on, and it will be given."_

A bloody swallow, and eyes did not leave the soothing whispers, the gentle black hands that left promises in their wake over his mind, his memories.

_"You are mine, and I am yours. I am your precious."_

Frodo's eyes parted with the last whisper, turning to look at Samwise, who stood in the doorway of the stone- blocking the way to what he desired.

"The ring is mine." Frodo spoke, not nearly loud enough to be heard over the constant storm high above, and yet in the moment of dire need, all voice was heard, as if screamed across a crevice.

"Oh Mister Frodo." Sam whispered- but Frodo did not care- the Ring promised him what he wanted, it promised him- _his precious._

_"Your precious." _ The ring seemed to agree, allowing itself to cackle in a dark laugh that Frodo did not flinch upon, setting the ring of gold upon the pointer finger of his right hand, the greatest sign of power.

Frodo couldn't tell what happened- one moment he was walking, the ring telling him of what needed to be done, far in the depths of its dark indulgences, before something grabbed him- clawing at his skin.

Frodo shrieked in pain as claws raked the healing wounds of the Orc whips, or the open gouge of Shelob's giant stinger. They raked his skin, parting it before the bone attack pulled at his arms- pulling at his precious.

_"No!" _The ring cried in fury as suddenly- it was gone, as was something else.

Agony parted upon Frodo as he crumpled, his entire body burning in agony, blood pouring out steadily from the ragged wound of which he bore upon the pointer finger of his right hand- where _his precious had been._

_"Little Hobbit- take me. Claim me, this fool knows nothing, he wishes to use me, only you can, my little Hobbit. Take me." _The ring urged, and a dark light filled Frodo's eyes, allowing him to rise to his feet, ignoring the blood in exception of holding the one hand nearest his heart.

He attacked, screeching a sound of which his Morgul Blade wound had gifted him with, pushing and shoving, nearly resorting to biting just as the savage had done before.

_"No! No! You foolish little boy! You stupid Hobbit! Get me! Take me! Let me be united with Sauron! NO!" _The ring cried, screaming as Smeagol fell, it's cries leaving agony, like it pulled with every inch descended into the flames.

And Frodo held on, arms shaking and trembling though the effort of the agony- the mental screaming and cries, before it grew silent, silent and so cold…

"Don't you dare let go." Frodo met eyes with Sam- and he saw his lips move- more words be spoken, but he was trapped in the nothingness, the _silence._

It had never granted him his wish.

He wasn't thinking, he was running, running from what he could not know, running blindly and yet still seeing- he collapsed on a rock- gazing up at the sky while each breath wheezed in his throat- burning and sprouting tears to clean the blood from his torn skin.

Aragorn had been right- the ring could not grant any creature its desires, no matter how petty they were.

It could not even grant Frodo's, which may have been one of its most easy to grant-

Even it could not grant death.

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**Reviews are welcome, Flames are not.**

**I apologize if i got any part of this wrong- i've only seen the movie once, and am not very knowedgable on my part.**

**~Oceanbreeze7**


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